South of Midnight Breaks into Top 10 Most Played Xbox Games During Launch Week in the U.S.
In a rare achievement for a brand-new single-player IP, South of Midnight broke into the top 10 most-played games on Xbox in the United States during its launch week, according to Circana's Executive Director and industry analyst Mat Piscatella.
A Standout Debut for a Narrative-Driven Experience
Launching the week of April 12, 2025, Compulsion Games’ Southern Gothic action-adventure title stood tall among Xbox’s most popular titles by player engagement. This is no small feat considering the Xbox engagement charts are almost always dominated by long-established live service giants like Call of Duty, Minecraft, Fortnite, Roblox, and GTA V.
South of Midnight debuted at #9, outpacing the likes of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows (at #11), and becoming the only new single-player narrative experience to make the list. The title’s success in terms of engagement is particularly notable because it launched day-one on Xbox Game Pass, which emphasizes player interest over raw sales.
A Risk That Paid Off—But What Comes Next?
While South of Midnight didn’t chart on Circana’s top sales list, that’s expected for a Game Pass title. What matters more is the willingness of players to engage with a new IP, especially one that isn't part of a larger franchise or built around live-service mechanics. This early success highlights growing appetite for fresh, story-driven games, and could help shape Xbox's future first-party strategy.
However, it also reopens discussions about Xbox’s studio management. The platform previously shuttered Tango Gameworks despite Hi-Fi Rush enjoying critical acclaim and strong launch metrics. The studio was only recently revived under Krafton. With South of Midnight showing early promise, all eyes are now on how Xbox handles Compulsion Games moving forward.
Xbox’s Top 10 Most-Played Games (Week of April 12, 2025)
Call of Duty
Fortnite
Minecraft
Roblox
GTA V
EA Sports College Football 25
NBA 2K25
Rainbow Six Siege
South of Midnight
Marvel Rivals
Do you think South of Midnight is the signal Xbox needed to reinvest in narrative-first games? Or will it go the Hi-Fi Rush route?
